December 2023 Book Bracket
In a shocking turn of events, I did not complete listening to a single audiobook this month. And yet, there were still seven books that were completed before the end of the year.
The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction, by Alan Jacobs
A college professor reflects on attitudes, difficulties, and rewards of reading books in an age of technological innovation and distraction.
Why I picked it up: This book probably showed up on my "to read" list before, but it came onto my radar hard when it was on a list recommended by the Read Aloud Revival group.
My impressions: This book had some good food for thought, but it didn't blow me away. The book wasn't broken up into conventional chapters (likely to encourage the long-form reading touted within its pages), so that was a bit different. The work also seemed to lack forward momentum - it played like a collection of musings from someone who (rightly) has spent quite a bit of time reflecting on reading in our era. These reflections were well-pondered, but not necessarily organized or strung together in a clearly organized way. One section flowed well into the next - I will give it that. Some of Jacobs' ideas struck me as I read them, but without taking notes, I can't much remember what it was that struck me. Oh, yes - he is a big proponent of marking up passages in books with symbols, etc., to increase engagement with the text. Aesthetically, that is something that I just can't get behind. I am quite content with my method of engagement - taking note of interesting lines, and dedicating a full blog post to a work if I need to get my thoughts out. I also think that his definition of a liberal arts education is not the full one - at least, it seemed lacking with respect to my understanding of it. So, if those are my two main gripes about the book, I'd say it wasn't too bad. I skipped over a few excerpts of works that I wouldn't have enjoyed reading myself. I think this work could be really great encouragement for its intended audience - people who want to read more but struggle to get into reading long-form content. It didn't hit me like I kind of thought it would, but it's nice to have read it and now know what it is. Maybe I'll come back to it in a different season of life.
The World According to Narnia, by Jonathan Rogers
The subtitle of this work is "Christian Meaning in C. S. Lewis's Beloved Chronicles", and I think that about sums up what this work is.
Why I picked it up: This one also came across my radar because of the Read Aloud Revival podcast, but I think it was originally recommended by a friend of mine when she went through a Chronicles of Narnia phase within the last year or two.
My impressions: This is another book that made it onto my list of "Books I'd Like to Own Someday." It's not necessarily groundbreaking, but it is a good, solid look at a series of books that has strong Christian ties. I liked most of what the author had to say as far as discerning helpful reflections, but I must also include a caveat that, my like Michael Ward's Planet Narnia/The Narnia Code, it's very much a work that includes interpretations that may not necessarily be what C. S. Lewis had in mind. For example - it is possible that Lewis intended The Magician's Nephew to be a work that reenchanted readers with the very familiar story of the creation...but there's no way to prove that. All the same, I think it'd be a great book to read if you have read the books already and want to see more Christian meaning in them than what is most obvious. High schoolers and older would likely benefit most from it, but I could possibly see some middle school-aged readers appreciating it as well. NOTE: I did not read the last chapter as it is about The Last Battle and that book tends to wreck me, even if it's being analyzed in literary criticism.
Christmas With L. M. Montgomery, by L. M. Montgomery
This collection of three Christmas vignettes are collected short stories by the author of Anne of Green Gables.
Why I picked it up: I received this book as a gift last year and waited all year to pull it out and read it closer to Christmas.
My impressions: These short stories are sweet, easy reads for those who love the writing of L. M. Montgomery. There are no recognizable characters from her other works in these tales, but each one has heartwarming, cozy qualities that are meant to make the reader feel good. It was a nice, short little read - it probably took less than an hour to read about 50 pages, so it could be a good way to get a quick Christmas fix. I think L. M. Montgomery fans will appreciate it most, but those who don't exactly fall in that category could enjoy reading it, too.
The Grace of Enough: Pursuing Less and Living More in a Throwaway Culture, by Haley Stewart
A homeschooling mother reflects on lessons about non-consumerism-driven life, learned while living on a farm with no flushing toilets for a year.
Why I picked it up: This one's been on my list for years and, since it's available through the local library, it seemed like a good time to give it a try.
My impressions: I didn't anticipate loving this book...based on the title and description, I figured it would be one long guilt trip about how I have too many clothes and should get rid of all my earthly possessions. I was happily surprised to learn this book felt much more like a personal, practical take on the beloved Theology of Home that I read within the last year. I loved how seamlessly Stewart's reflections wove in with stories of her experiences of preparing to move, living on the farm, and finding community after the year ended. She made radically living the Gospel sound enticing and beautiful, not judgy or off-putting (at least, it came across that way to this cradle Catholic). I still felt called out about my possessions, but it was mainly in one chapter and it's good to have the encouragement to consider ways I could detach myself from possessions. The chapters on connecting with nature, making home the center of family life, hospitality, and community were standouts to me. This book was good enough that I told my sister-in-law about it and mentioned a few things from it to my husband. I could see myself reading this book again. I think Catholics and Christians would enjoy this book. Some might find certain takes on topics difficult, but as Stewart says in the book, living a truly Gospel-centered life isn't easy and can make targets of those committed to living it.
Walking With Mary, by Edward Sri
Sri dives into several Biblical narratives which include Mary, providing reflections upon what was likely going on in her soul, as well as what we can learn from her.
Why I picked it up: I knew I wanted a book to help me reconnect with Mother Mary during Advent, and this one was one of two readily available options that sounded interesting.
My impressions: This was a solid book. It didn't hit me as hard as The Reed of God, but it was still very good. I liked the depth of the research and the connections Sri made between the Gospel stories and other parts of the Bible. My favorite parts were the reflections of what the faithful today can learn from Mary's experiences and example to us. I'd recommend this book to any Catholic high schooler or older, as well as any Christians who are open to learning about Mary.
Interior Freedom, by Fr. Jacques Philippe
Fr. Philippe explains what is necessary for interior, or spiritual freedom, and why it is necessary.
Why I picked it up: I'd just reread Searching for and Maintaining Peace and felt like I needed some more Fr. Jacques Philippe gold, so this was a natural next reread.
My impressions: Very excellent. I'm pretty sure I just read this book earlier this year - it was last year, at the latest, so I won't spend too much time on it. It's great - maybe not quite as fantastic as his Peace book, but almost that same level. I won't spend time here recapping, but it was quite excellent and won't be on this month's bracket.
I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life, by Anne Bogel**
The creator of the blog "Modern Mrs. Darcy" writes about the joys and frustrations common to many who love books and read often.
Why I picked it up: It was on my reading list for a while; I got an Audible subscription for a while and discovered this was one of the titles available to me through a subscription; there's something very attractive about books about reading.
My impressions: Part memoir, part reflection, this book was a fun, easy listen. I think there's something in here for any book-lover/reader to relate to. It was interesting to hear her perspectives, as someone who reads and reviews books and often is asked to recommend books to others. She wove in personal experiences, some light research, and many, many quotes from books. It's something avid readers of middle and high school ages could take in easily enough, but there were just a few comments that might be more PG-13/above than below, depending on how sensitive one is to that type of thing. The main takeaway for me is that there's apparently a rule about how to make bookshelves look nice: 1/3 books, 1/3 trinkets or objects, 1/3 empty space. I doubt I'll follow the rule based on how many books we own, but it's nice to know because it'd be lovely to have maybe one bookshelf that looks really beautiful. I think any avid reader (or listener) could enjoy this book high school and above - just with the note that there are just a few sentences that refer to more adult content. I bet middle schoolers would be able to read it just fine, but I think there's more to appreciate in this work the longer you've been a reader.
Bracket Play
I enjoyed all the books I read this month to some degree.
Interior Freedom was a reread, so I didn't have it contend with the others. The easiest to choose to lose in the first round was the collection of three short stories from L. M. Montgomery; the stories were fine, but nothing about them was life-changing or so incredible as to need to be read for Christmas next year. The two books about reading were pretty good - I liked
I'd Rather Be Reading more, but I placed them against better books so the first round would be easier to decide. A first round victory gave
The Grace of Enough a bye to the final round.
The World According to Narnia was a good book, but it seemed right to give precedence to a book that explores Mary's spiritual experiences. However, the final battle tipped in favor of
The Grace of Enough; this was the book that I gave a very strong review for and ended up talking to others about. I also noted that I could see myself reading this book again, so Stewart's book wins the December bracket.
Books Attempted and Put Down
The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue, by Karina Yan Glaser
The Vanderbeeker children accidentally endanger their mother's home bakery career and work to make things right.
Why I picked it up: It was the next in the series, and I thought it would be a good audiobook to listen to from the library.
Why I put it down: These books are pretty fun and engaging, but by the third time around, I was tired of seeing the kids mess something up and get in big trouble, and I didn't want to listen to what seemed likely to be a long road to fixing their mistakes.
The Secret of the Andes, by Ann Nolan Clark
A youth living in a remote part of the Andes learns about his familial and cultural heritage.
Why I picked it up: The Newberry Award on the cover caught my attention in a local bookstore, and I checked it out through the local library.
Why I put it down: The book wasn't engaging my interest - it was moving too slowly for my taste. I was surprised to learn this book beat out Charlotte's Web for the Newberry Award that year.
